The NAA recognizes that the future of our sport of archery is our youth. To be successful in our Sagittarian endeavors and to grow our Olympic sport we must nurture and maintain the participation of our youth in JOAD.

In producing the X Files JOAD Newsletter one GOAL is to provide a timely information conduit to JOAD coaches, archers, and parents regarding NAA activities, to help them get the most from JOAD. Another GOAL is to improve participation in the sport by raising awareness of JOAD events. A third GOAL is to provide answers to parents and archers about the sport and about JOAD. The final GOAL is to allow the archers themselves to talk about and share their JOAD experiences and to answer any questions they might have.

As you know, JOAD archery is composed of dedicated volunteers and we hope to have volunteers creating the articles in the X Files as well - and I'm speaking especially to you JOAD archers here as well as the parents and coaches - if you have a story to tell about a friend in JOAD, or something you think would help other archers, we want to hear from you. A simple, short email is fine. If you have a neat picture you took, that's great and we'd like to see it. We can't promise everything will make it into an issue but we'll give it our best shot if you will, too. Even a short TIP is welcome!

The X Files JOAD Newsletter is to be a periodic publication, once a month unless something important comes along that puts a rush on an issue. The beauty of the internet is that our time to publication can be defined in days and weeks rather than months.

We will archive all of the newsletter issues online for reference, for the time being on the TSAA website under the

We urge JOAD instructors and organizers to please print these issues, and put them up on the bulletin board at your JOAD/archery ranges for all to see, so that we can get as much exposure and participation as possible. The subscriptions are free - one needs only to send an email to subscribe. And to You!, the JOAD archer: You can also help get the word out by simply choosing to send this email on to ALL of your friends!

TO SUBSCRIBE, just send an email message addressed to

joadsubscribe and put your first name and last name in the body of the message - that's all that's needed. And let us hear from you!

Linda O'ConnorParent of Maggie O'Connor, 13 year old archer and member of the PhoenixArchers JOAD Club in Morrow. Georgia.Communications Director for the Georgia Archery Association

TIP: Your email software will let you put a FILTER in place, so that your "NAA JOAD Newsletter" will always be placed in a folder automatically. You can rely on us always including in the subject of the X Files, the words "NAA JOAD Newsletter", so set your software to look for that, and route the messages into a special JOAD folder so you don't lose your newsletters! Check your "help" function in your email software on the topic of FILTER.

It’s great to start the premier issue of The X Files with a focus on a large JOAD that is by accounts doing it right. This particular JOAD, called “Hall’s Arrow JOAD”, is located in Manchester, Connecticut and hosted by Hall’s archery store.

QUALIFIED COACHINGHall’s Arrow JOAD program is coached by 17 time “National Professional Women’s Archery Champion” and 2 time “World Archery Champion” Tricia Hall. Her able assistant Roxanne Reimann is a 5 time NAA National Champion with 3 years on the NAA USA Archery Team and currently holds the #4 ranking in the country.

In the past 10 years JOAD archers from Hall’s Arrow JOAD program have captured 130 1st place National Titles and one of their more famous members, Karen Scavotto, represented the United States as a member of the US Olympic Archery Team at the Sydney Olympics, Australia, in 2000.

MAKEUPHall’s Arrow JOAD currently has 190 young archers primarily comprised of recurve shooters -- only five members shoot compound bows. Children sign up for a four-month JOAD session, committing to one of 13 shooting times per week for the entire session. Dues are $10.00 per week with a $5.00 registration fee per session. Parents can receive a discount by paying for the entire four month session in advance. Each scheduled time can accommodate up to 12 archers, since the shop has 12 lanes and they do not shoot double lines. Such is the interest in this JOAD that parents drive from up to several hours’ distance for the sessions.

Before a child can join the Hall’s JOAD program they are required to take at least one private lesson and to purchase a finger tab and arm guard. Often the private lesson is what leads them to want to join up. Bows can be rented, including Easton XX75 arrows, for $2.00 per week. Hall’s Arrow color-codes the arrows according to size and length and insures they are properly maintained.

HISTORYHall’s staff not only teaches archery but are all graduates and instructors of the CT Archery Instructors School. Hall’s Arrow has a long history of teaching children the sport of archery. Back in 1954, Arthur Hall (Tricia’s dad) recognized the intrinsic value of the sport to children (and vice-versa) and began creating methods for teaching them, well before the NAA began what we know today as the JOAD program.

Tricia Hall grew up watching her dad teach children in the back yard. “I've been at our range for 20 years. Roxanne's been teaching with me for 5 years, as a paid employee. She was helping as a young child for years before that. She lived here.” To quote Arthur Hall, “Archery is an equipment sport and to conduct a successful program, an instructor must possess a full understanding of appropriate equipment selection and be capable of preparing and maintaining it. This combination of group teaching ability and equipment knowledge is what makes the CT archery instructors school unique."

TRAINING AND FUN

The primary training focus of the Hall’s Arrow JOAD program is shooting with
good form. Says Tricia: “We will give rewards (like a piece of candy, or
shooting at something fun) if a child performs a well executed shot. We never do
it for hitting the 10 ring. For with the right positive attitude, proper shot
execution, and confidence, the arrow has nowhere to go but the center. But even
a perfect shot can miss the center with a little person.”Above all, the purpose of Hall’s Arrow JOAD is to have fun with a positive attitude. “We have fun with them. We talk with them. We hug and kiss them. We ask what movies they've seen. We laugh with them. We hoot and holler out loud when someone does something right they've been working on. We expect that a child of any age can have proper form, and encourage them to give their best.”

During the first session of each month kids shoot “official qualifying rounds” in order to advance in JOAD rank. Hall’s Arrow JOAD keeps a large bulletin board on the wall that tracks the progress of the archers as they grow through the JOAD ranks. They also provide the NAA JOAD ranking patches to those who earn them. Parents are not involved during the actual shooting sessions and often drop their kids off for their weekly hour-long JOAD shoot.

ALL STARSParents ARE INDEED very involved with the top shooters of the JOAD known as Hall’s All Stars. The All Stars promote both JOAD and archery by demonstrating the sport at gatherings such as Scouting Jamborees and sportsman conventions. Even birthday parties prove a great way to show kids and parents the benefits of the sport.

To make the Hall’s All Star team archers must average a specific score according to their age:11 and Under, 23012-14, 25015 and above, 270 or Expert Archer or better

In addition to being able to shoot the required score, members must commit to traveling to tournaments, participating in fundraisers as well as exhibit excellent sportsmanship at all times. This commitment is required of the archers and parents alike.

FUNDRAISINGFundraising is an important part of the All Stars success. Whenever Hall's Arrow holds a tournament (about 10 per year) the All Stars have a food and bake sale to raise money, making from $80-120 at even the small shoots. This year they are including T-Shirts and candy bars as well. They also hold a garage tag sale during the summer.

These funds help defray the cost of team shirts, jackets, and registration fees. This year the funds decreased shirt prices to members by $8, jackets by $30, and paid for every family’s first night in a hotel during the NAA national indoors (a tab of around $2,000 !)

OUTDOORSThe All Stars also have an excellent out-door shooting range – Tricia’s mother Marcia Bartman has around 6 acres and her backyard is a permanent range. Members of the All Stars can shoot there anytime, and Tricia holds camps there for the younger kids that want to compete.

When the outdoor season rolls around the All Stars club will get together and shoot as a team at Marcia’s house while Tricia and Roxanne coach them. These evening sessions are offered free to anyone who can attend. Once per year, the team has a workday to rebuild the butts and stands, clean up the field etc.

Tricia says that the closeness of All Stars families is something that she loves and treasures. “The team families grow close to each other and some end up doing things together other than archery. We have a Christmas party and an annual pool party. I've set up a private room at a restaurant for the parents to have dinner when we are at the indoor nationals. I will stay at the hotel and watch/play with all the kids. We do this every year and the parents really enjoy it”

IN CLOSINGThe Hall family’s dedication and commitment to children and to the sport of archery has made Hall’s Arrow JOAD one of the biggest and most successful in the United States. Their program attracts archers from three states, some of whom willingly drive nearly 2 hours each and every week to participate.

Their vitality is reflected in their presence on the web as well. You can visit Hall’s Arrow Archery shop and see more on their JOAD on the internet by going to this link:

We are all aware that in order to perform at our peak we will have to maintain a nutritious diet. But what we eat doesn't have to be boring or bland. There are many foods that not only taste great, but also are exactly what we need for fuel to perform at our best. Take for instance breakfast. The first meal of the day is usually the one that's overlooked (or skipped) the most. Any breakfast is better than no breakfast, but some choices are better than others for your sports diet. You can easily boost your carbohydrate intake with some of these popular breakfast foods: Cold or hot cereals, pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins, English muffins, bagels, toast, banana bread, fruit, juice, flavored yogurt, or even some non-traditional breakfast foods: baked potato, crackers, pasta, thick crust pizza, noodle soup. All of these choices will do the same thing… increase your carbohydrate intake so you have the fuel to carry you through the day and through the tournament in which you are competing. A couple of the perennial favorites are: ·

Cereal with a cut up banana, low fat milk, and orange juice.

Pancakes or French toast with syrup, juice, and low fat milk.

Try to avoid large fatty meals such as bacon and eggs, or a large steak dinner the night before. Meals such as these tend to sit heavily in the stomach and are harder to digest. During competition or exercise, you will still need to maintain enough fuel so that you don't "burn out". This is easily accomplished by snacking. There are many foods available to provide you with the energy that you need, but there is also enough variety to keep the choices interesting. I've included a table that shows some choices that are easily available to snack on during an event. All of these contain carbohydrates that will carry you through the day. One type snack that is not on the table is sugary type snacks (soft drinks, candy, chocolate bars, etc) you know the snickers bar and coke for snack will leave you jittery.

While these are quite appealing to the taste buds, they contain little (if any) carbohydrates. Some people think of sugary snacks as "quick energy". What actually happens is that after you eat any kind of concentrated sugar, the body will secrete insulin, a hormone that carries sugar into the muscles. Exercise, like insulin, also helps carry sugar into the muscles. The combined effect of insulin with exercise can cause blood sugar to drop abnormally low and if you are sensitive to blood sugar changes, you may experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This could cause you to feel shaky, light headed, or even cause you to faint. Snacking on the right types of foods will prevent this.

Whereas the lack of carbohydrates can hurt athletic performance, lack of fluids can endanger both performance and health. To prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated, drink plenty of liquids before, during, and after strenuous exercise or a tournament, as much fun as it might be, we don't want to drop you in the water cooler. As far as the type of fluids, some athletes prefer water, while others like the sports drinks. Here is a good rule of thumb: Water before activity, water or sports drinks during the activity, water, sports drinks, or juices after the activity. Forget about the soda for now, we need to concentrate on form and execution and when our minds are going a million miles an hour on sugar its hard to do. Some folks think that sports drinks will replace sodium losses as an athlete sweats during strenuous exercise. Sports drinks are generally a weak source of sodium. They are designed to enhance fluid absorption and retention, not to replace losses. Snacking on pretzels, yogurt, etc will easily replace those losses. Also keep in mind that "watery" foods such as yogurts, oranges, and melons all have a high water content that will contribute to your fluid balance. Have fun… and I'll see you on the line.

After ActivityDrink 24 oz per pound of body weight deficit (Sodium will help speed rehydration.)

Jim Pruitte and daughter Samantha at the 2002 NFAA Outdoor Nationals last year in Watkins Glen, NY. Jim Pruitte is a Level III NAA coach and works with the SureShots JOAD club in Martinez, Georgia. Jim is also a member of the Professional Division of the NFAA and is well known in Georgia for his tournament wins

Introduction: We intend each month to put a spotlight on young archers from around the US who are examples of the positive effects of JOAD involvement. If any JOAD coach has a candidate for SPOTLIGHT, please send a writeup and photo(s) to the newsletter staff

Kevin Barker by A.Ron Carmichael and Tom Barker

So, exactly how does a 16-year-old kid from a small town in South Texas find himself representing the United States in international archery competitions twice in just seven months? Well, the obvious answer would be lots of JOAD practice, lots of tournament experience, and good coaching. And that's exactly right, but there has been a lot of good fortune along the way for Kevin Barker from Victoria, TX. The circumstances that have taken him from south Texas to the Czech Republic last August for the Junior World Outdoor Championships and to the south of France in March 2003 for the World Indoors have all come together to far exceed his wildest dreams.

He certainly could not foresee these accomplishments as he just happened to choose archery as his

4H project when a new club started in his neighborhood. At 8 years old, he went to his first project meeting just to see what archery was like and instantly became hooked on flinging arrows. As that first 4H season came to an end, the project leader saw that Kevin might be interested in learning more and told Kevin of the opportunities available to shoot year round through the JOAD program.

The JOAD tournaments were great fun and he began to make a whole new set of friends who also loved to shoot from all over the state . Later, when JOAD Nationals were held in Austin, it seemed a great opportunity to check out a national tournament and meet some more kids. Austin was so close it was just too tempting to not go and at least see what it was all about. By this time, his sister, Chelsea, was shooting as well and it became an annual family trip to travel to wherever Nationals were being held each year.As his archery skills improved, he found himself shooting well enough to earn trips to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista for the JOAD Olympian Camps. As he discovered the fun of archery and formed many friendships with other archers around the US, his life began to revolve more and more around archery - shooting the 4H season, indoor season, outdoor season - a continual opportunity to shoot. It all paid off when he attended the Trials for the Junior World Team last June in Chula Vista. Finishing 3rd in his division, he earned the privilege of being an archery ambassador for the United States in the Czech Republic in August, 2002. He found the experiences of international competition to be incredible. The world suddenly shrank as he made new friends and traded pins and smiles with kids from Japan, Estonia, Italy, Taipei, etc. His email list suddenly expanded as he traded instant Internet messages with the Aussie's in spite of the time difference and his new Latvian friends challenged him to learn Russian in time for the next tournament.

About a month after returning to the states, while at archery practice one evening, Kevin experienced chest pains which were later diagnosed as a spontaneous pneumothorax ( collapsed lung). Following ER surgery and a week spent in and out of the hospital, he hoped that he would still be up to the challenge that awaited him in just a few short months - the World Team Trials. His strength returned slowly and with patience, dedication, perseverance, and terrific insight from his friend and new mentor Staten Holmes, he began to once again feel confident, shooting personal bests again and again in practice.

Once at the Trials, he happily found himself in 2nd place after the first day of qualifying shooting. By the end of the next day's head-to-head matches, he had held his own, winning 8 of 8 matches. He continued his sweep the next day as he finished the tournament undefeated, in 2nd place, and again he is headed for Europe and international competition.

While Kevin's European travel experiences have all been archery related, he and his family have traveled extensively within the United States, including trips to Alaska, up the Mississippi, and along the intracoastal waterway of the southeastern coastline. His favorite destination would have to be Hawaii for its relaxed atmosphere and availability of kayaking opportunities. Living on a south Texas lake, his passion for kayaking adventure has occasionally given him an up-close look at the native alligators. Kevin also excels in his academics as he is ranked ninth in his junior class.

The 4H program provides an opportunity for kids to participate in many shooting sports, and a profoundly effective measure 4H takes is to provide a series of tournaments during the indoor season from August through December. Nearly every weekend provides opportunity for archers to compete with an average of more than 100 other kids! This kind of experience is invaluable in nurturing young talent and Kevin is not the only example of the synergy that JOAD and 4H have together in creating excellence in archery. Kevin is indeed fortunate to have found the 4H/JOAD experience and used it to broaden his horizons, both within the sport and within his life, and we can look forward to more from this young gentleman.

Each month, JOAD organizations from across the United States participate in an electronic-but-very-real tournament where archers shoot at their local JOAD range and their scores are brought together on a website with other archers from participating JOADs in the same age group and the same type of bow. If you've missed out on this, YOU can now join in this free, fun virtual tournament. The purpose of the Call-In(also called the Mail-In) is to allow the archers to compete and compare their abilities without having to travel. It also permits flexibility in when the archer actually shoots. Some JOAD organizations will give out ribbons when their archers place in the top 3 places for the tournament.

Arizona Association webmaster Ted Harden has provided the resources for this and does the work to insure the scores are posted on the Arizona Website. So, you ask - HOW do I get in on this cool tournament?

First your JOAD Coach/Coordinator should check the calendar for the due date of the scores and schedule your JOAD's shoot date for that month. Then each month, your JOAD Coach/Coordinator should collect the scores according

In addition to sending scores, it would be best if the JOAD coach or coordinator was to send in a digital group photo showing the archers of the JOAD. It should be carefully noted and emphasized to all participants that like so much of the sport of archery, the Call-In is conducted under the honor system. After all, there is very little honor in claiming a score that you cannot back up with arrows once you go to participate in an NAA official shoot, right?

For target information you can go to the indoor section of

this page on the TSAA website for target/division information. It is very important that all archers adhere to the same conditions and rules, to insure fairness. To view what the results look like take a click to the January 2003 Mail-In Results Page.

The JOAD National Outdoor Tournament will have some big changes this year. The biggest change will be its division into two tournaments - the JOAD National Tournament and the Jr. U.S. Open. It is our intent and hope that by making these changes we can host a high quality tournament that international teams will attend.

Following is the basic proposal approved by the BOG with my comments highlighted in blue. Information on this year's tournament, which will be held in Denver, Colorado, is available at:

A. JOAD National Tournament will consist of a FITA/JOAD round and team round. JOAD National Champions will be determined by final placement in the FITA/JOAD round. Foreign archers are welcome to compete as guests, but will not be eligible to become JOAD National Champion.

1. FITA/JOAD round will follow FITA rules
Juniors only will use the multiple face at 30 meters; all other archers must be given a choice at the shortest distance and the tournament committee must honor that choice. In order to simplify matters for the tournament committee, a place to specify the choice will be available on the registration form. Athletes will be allowed to change their minds on the field only at the discretion of the tournament committee.This is similar to what it has been in the past. However, there have been problems with the archers changing their minds, and with the tournament committee not honoring all requests. Hopefully, by making a definite choice during registration, these problems can be avoided. Note that ALL juniors will shoot the multiple face.

2. Team round:
Juniors and cadets will use FITA rules and distances. This will be at 70 meters. Archers, cubs, and bowmen who want to move up and shoot 70 meters with a team will be allowed to do so. Archers, cubs, and bowmen will shoot at 50 meters. This part of the proposal was designed to simplify the team round for the tournament committee. If the committee chooses to do so, it can also hold a team round at 30 meters for the bowmen only.

B. Jr. US Open (This will be an Olympic (elimination) round. Seeding will be determined by placement in the FITA/JOAD round. Foreign archers will be allowed to participate and the winners will be considered Jr. U.S. Open champions.

This round will be shot using the current format of allowing all shooters (except Bowmen) to shoot (byes will be allowed). It will consist of the FITA elimination round using the following distances:
Juniors and cadets will shoot at 70 meters
Archers will shoot at 60 meters
Cubs will shoot at 50 metersC. Final placement 1. JOAD National Championship will determine National Champions
2. Jr. US Open will determine Jr. US Open winners
3. Bowmen - based on JOAD round onlyAlthough the exact method for determining points for Jr. USAT is still being discussed, participation in the Jr. U.S. Open will be mandatory for Jr. USAT membership (along with the fitness test and qualifying scores). There were several suggestions made at last year's tournament that the committee did consider and decided they were best left up to the tournament committee. These included:1. time schedules (to be approved by JOAD committee)
2. selection method for teams
3. juniors and cadets on a separate field
4. social event - we recommend keeping it simple, fun, and inexpensive
5. whether or not to have a yeoman activity (NOTE: The yeoman division will not be included as an official division at JOAD Nationals. However, if the hosting club has the resources available, an activity such as a camp can be held. If the club chooses to hold such an activity, it must not be on the official field, and registration and operation of the activity are the total responsibility of the hosting club.)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Randi Smith, at

Useful sources of information on the World Wide Web (Internet): Note that many times a website will change addresses. If a link below is no longer active, you can often find the new address by using http://www.google.com and searching on the name. To search a summary of groups' conversations on archery or on any other topic, go to http://groups.google.com . Use any archery term.

TSAA JOAD Message Board - Q&AThere is NOW a brand new, special forum JUST FOR KIDS. JOAD ARCHERS have their own place on the TSAA Message Board , called "The X Files". You can be anonymous if you want and leave messages for just the "right" person. <hint> You can use an alias if you want, or your real name, you can even post messages both ways! Go to the Message Board and see for yourself. You can start opinion polls there. Right now, there is a "starter" question about the JOAD Nationals this summer and shooting distances IN REVERSE, and a sample poll to give you ideas! Did you know?